Sodality (series)
Sodality (formerly known by the working title Cataclysmic Horizons) is an alternate history science fiction superhero serial of planned books, intended to become a TV series. It is similar in nature to Stationery Voyagers, except for being set in a variation of the Gerosha Universe. It depicts a world in which the United States ceases to exist as a country in the year 2018, combined with a story about a group of superheroes who must come together and rebuild their civilian lives, in the wake of a political tragedy they were unable to prevent. On the side, their need to rid the world of their prime enemy, the Hebbleskin Gang; requires them to band together to form the Sodality of Gerosha. They must do so in cooperation with the Phaelite Society-controlled oversight organization known as "SCALLOP," which has numerous other enemies that include the Society of the Icy Finger. Central protagonists in the series are reinterpretations of major names in Gerosha mythos. The central team, or "Founding Elites," consists of Ciem, Emeraldon, Botan the Plant-Man, Jackrabbit, Earwig, Laurie Pegol, Miranda Kanla, Meerkat, Mukade, and Emily Cormier. They eventually gain several new allies from amongst the "Legends" and their associates: the Gray Champion, Extirpon, Navyrope, Mapacha, Pilltar, Strawberry, Hea Pang, Tabitha Pang, Tiffany Sterlie, and Jordan Sterlie. They also have to deal with friends-turned-rivals Jordan "Sapphire King" Reddlwick and Celia "Taterbug" Winehart. Sodality is the first major Dozerfleet Comics work to have its concept art be shot primarily in 3D, employing both traditional red-cyan and American Paper Optics' TrioScopic™ anaglyph techniques. Synopsis Season one Main article: Sodality: Season One After the Obama administration forces the United States into complete financial ruin, the nation gets split into four. The Hebbleskin Gang takes over the northwest, calling its new nation "Netheel." They set to work creating Meethex-1s and Meethexos, and plotting to expand their political influence. They also plot to eradicate all Phexos, and exact revenge on the Phaelites that frustrated their efforts during the Battle for Gerosha. Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri come together to form the nation of Toklisana, a remnant of what the US used to be. California and a few other states become a colony of China, dubbed "Chimerica." The eastern US and most of the Midwest, however, is taken over by the Muslim Brotherhood. After a year of empty promises that they'd allow registered Toklisanans to leave on a schedule, Halal Affadidah's regime in "Ameristan" reneges on its promise. Several Toklisanans are trapped behind enemy lines, and death camps for them begin popping up all over the war-torn countryside. After escaping one of those death camps, a young Centhuen Prototype woman named Candi Flippo shares the story of how she got her centipede powers with a fellow escapee: a young housewife named Dolly Malestrom. Dolly informs Candi that the Affadidah regime formed a temporary truce with the Hebbleskin Gang to help eliminate anyone that could be a threat to both - namely Phexos like Candi. Her husband, Jeraime, was captured by the Hebbleskin Gang because of his knowledge on how to fight Phexos and Meethexos. The girls also believe that he may have connections to a hacker that can breach "The Wall," a force shield along the border between Netheel, Toklisana, and Ameristan. Duke Arfaas and Affadidah agreed to erect it so as to keep Toklisanans from ever making it safely to their homeland. Candi recruits Dolly to the resistance force that she's already a part of, dubbed the "Exodus Agenda." Her godfather Imaki Izuki and her boyfriend Donte McArthur have also joined in order to aid as many registered Toklisanans as possible in fleeing from captivity. They lost the best hacker they had who could breach the wall a short time earlier: Candi's sister Miriam Flippo. This is because Miriam and her boyfriend Phil Couric tried to create a similar breach and organize an escape. However, Miriam was among the few that successfully made with through that earlier attempt alive. , Donte, Imaki, and Dolly. Original 2D high-quality here. 3D high-quality views: • ]] It is revealed that Miriam has moved to Hong Kong, where she is gang-pressed by the Chinese MSS in an effort to counteract growing Hebbleskin Gang influence in China. With the help of her new boyfriend, scientist Steve McLaine, she tries to bring down Hebbleskin technology that arrives in Hong Kong. Her Chinese friends go by the codenames Black Rat, Teal Hog, Stung Hornet, and Tin Dragon. Meanwhile, a displaced Apache named Jack "Jackrabbit" Mercreek works with his friends and their private radio network to track down Hebbleskin Gang activity in Toklisana. He uncovers a plot to capture several Phexos and Phaelite supporters, and execute them publicly, when Duke Arfaas hovers his doomsday ship over Houston. If the plan succeeds, Houston will be compromised. The rest of Toklisana could fall. However, the storage location for Arfaas' operations in Toklisana remains unknown. His girlfriend, Miranda Kanla, is abducted by Don the Psycho. He believes that due to her family's involvement in the Phaelite-based organization SCALLOP, Miranda is a target for extermination. She reformed him from his past life as a notorious womanizer, and feels he owes it to her to save her life. Alas, Jack's efforts lead to him getting involved in a constant game of cat-and-mouse with Don. It turns out, Don Mendoza and Candi also share an unpleasant history with one another. And while aiding her friends in the present, Candi tries to make peace with the her memories and past baggage. Dolly reveals that her history with Jeraime also may have helped contribute to a lot of the team's current problems. Amidst this backdrop, Imaki trains Candi to use her centipede abilities to become a freedom fighter named Ciem. Candi and Donte decide to elope while behind enemy lines, realizing they will have to remarry once they make it across since Toklisana doesn't view Ameristani elopment marriages as valid. Donte, who was defending Evansville as Emeraldon up until the political collapse of America, agrees with Candi that they need to get married; since they have difficulty controlling themselves in each other's presence. At one point, Candi and Dolly must battle the ruthless chicken monster Jawknee for their own survival. In Louisiana, Kyle "Meerkat" Freneti and his wife Charlotte "Mukade" Yamamura try to defend their hometown from both Hebbleskin thugs and from constant Affadidah regime invasion. When Candi and her friends finally do pull off the great exodus of their Exodus Agenda, they intercept a description of plans for the invasion of Houston. Donte ignores a warning from his teammates and is captured in an MPF field. Imaki is shot dead while fleeing, forcing Candi and Dolly to head to the border alone - both vowing to either rescue their men or avenge them. Season two Main article: Sodality: Season Two battles Don the Psycho. Original here. 3D views: • ]] Candi and Dolly arrive in Toklisana, only to discover that it's hardly the "Promised Land" that they imagined it to be. Safer for them than Ameristan, perhaps, but the entire country is under constant threat of war from within and without. Corruption is everywhere to be found. As Duke Arfaas and the nation of Netheel poise themselves and their resources for an attack on China and Texas, Miriam's friends in the MSS look for every possible way to fight back. They learn just how far the Hebbleskin influence in China has spread - and annoy Beijing by the news of whom their best allies can be in fighting back. Meanwhile, Arfaas' minions start pouring out into every part of Toklisana to spread mayhem. These include Lobe, Rockpapsci, Musaran, Milp, Cupric, Don the Psycho, and Wayne the Vampire. Various other bad guy factions also begin spelling trouble, forcing Ciem and Jackrabbit to work together if they wish to overcome the odds and see their loved ones come through the mess alive. However, being around each other brings temptation with it that could jeopardize their existing relationships. They also uncover the Phaletori's efforts to unleash a True Centhuen army assault on various cities in Toklisana. Laurie Pegol and Celia Winehart join the team as Support Staff. However, the discovery of an "Earwig" armor that can give the team a fighting chance against Musaran leads to them clashing with Darius Philippine over its possession. Darius is revealed to be struggling with Arfaas trying to blackmail him. The compromised Darius is eventually assassinated, prompting Lex Philippine to take over as the new director of SCALLOP and begin weeding out bad influences within the organization. Field Agent Jim Oisdaat begins a personal feud with Celia, one which will have devastating consequences later. The girls on the team in particular have multiple run-ins with the law as they fight for their reputations - along with everything else they must face. Adding to the difficulty of everything, they must continue to find a way to balance their efforts to save the world with their personal goals to find jobs and attend college classes at the University of Houston. The season finally leads up to a climactic battle, as the Sodality heroes must use all their wits and other resources to thwart Arfaas' invasion and rescue their loved ones. Season three Main article: Sodality: Season Three logo.]] The Sodality accustoms itself to its new members, but learns of possible new threats on the horizon - including a suspicious Judge Terry Beliah who seems to be gaining popularity with the countercultural crowd and with the Phaletori's ever-growing resources and influence. Halal Affadidah remains a threat in the background. However, the Hebbleskin Gang is in ruins. Captain Aardwulf takes what he can from it after launching a successful mutiny, killing Duke Arfaas and stealing the Ming-Yo in a bid to carry out for his own agenda the backup plans that Arfaas put in place in the event of his Doomsday Ship invasion of Houston failing. When Candi discovers she's pregnant, the team looks for a new recruit to fill in as Ciem until they can get the original back. Their fill-in later becomes "Feruga," a sand-colored Centhuen Prototype hero that goes to great lengths to distinguish herself from Candi's alter-ego. The Sodality finds itself forced to work with the Chinese MSS in order to overcome Capp Aard. Dolly learns to move on from her past and let go of her hatred for Affadidah, in order to stay focused and protect an innocent town from the regime rather than get distracted by her thirst for revenge. The Earwig is eventually reunited with her team. Jeraime learns to deal with being blind, as Lex Philippine and the scientists at SCALLOP attempt to restore his eyesight - after he lost it while breaking free of Musaran's control. To add to the team's complications and heartbreak, Laurie Pegol resigns from the Sodality Support Staff and Celia becomes "the Taterbug" after defecting from the team to become the Sapphire King's new girlfriend. Celia and Jordan ironically find Lex Philippine to be a secret ally in their quest to get revenge on Jim Oisdaat for his mistreatment of both - and his repeated attempts on their lives. Season four Main article: Sodality: Season Four This season begins with the Sodality of Gerosha dealing with the consequences of the Ming-Yo and Ming-Cho being destroyed along with Captain Aardwulf's defeat, as well as how they put their lives back together afterward. However, the arrival of Judge Terry Beliah and his mad followers as a new threat to Toklisana's national security betrays an agenda to have the entire Sodality imprisoned in MPF containers. The "Founding Elites" are informed of the "Legends," whom they must rescue and recruit if their team is to become strong enough to thwart a Phaletori-induced civil war inside Toklisana. Worse: Beliah's men unleash the Shrouded Entity, an ancient evil, on the Netherlands by accident. The Sodality's new and old members alike are put to the test as they fight for their very survival. To succeed, they need all the outside help they can get. The reward? A safe and free Toklisana, in which the Sodality becomes a true Sodality consisting of actual Modalities within. As if the threat of their own nation turning against them, being trapped in MPF containers for all of time, and the Shrouded Entity weren't enough to worry about, a plot is uncovered that the Toklisanan Senate has been infiltrated by the Society of the Icy Finger - the one threat to SCALLOP and the Sodality considered to be worse than either the Phaletori or the Hebbleskin Gang. In addition to Oraphim II, the team is helped briefly by Chris "Purge-Flare" Kennal. It marks the entry into regular series continuity of the Gray Champion, Mapacha, Extirpon, Navyrope, Pilltar, Strawberry, and their various sidekicks as Sodality members. Feruga also briefly returns, showing how she has come to differentiate herself from Ciem. Main characters See also: List of Sodality series characters, for a more thorough list of characters and factions. As the series takes time for the titular Sodality of Gerosha to build, it begins by addressing the political situation that necessitated their existence. A small handful of regulars appear, making up the earliest modalities in what would become the Sodality's "Founding Elites." The first season consisted of the following protagonists: * Candice "Candi" Marie Flippo / Ciem, a Centhuen Prototype and descendant of Gerosha town founders Stan and Shalia Flippo. She seeks to restore the legacy of her family however she can, a legacy that was torn apart when most of her family was murdered. She also struggles with her sense of duty to be Ciem, her plans to marry Donte McArthur and start a family, and her feelings of shame over her own past sexual baggage. She possesses various superpowers such as Centuition and rapid cellular regeneration, with her prominent "Centileg" stingers capable of shooting venom into her enemies. Her powers were made by Phaelite scientists with the help of DNA extracted from a brown centipede dubbed "Grandma Centipede," since the infusion was done directly to her father and she inherited and manifested it. This same type of centipede is the inspiration behind the types of centipede depicted in the decals on her Ciem costume. Before marrying Donte, she assumes a surname of "Levens" after crossing the border into Toklisana. This allows her to keep the Hebbleskins from discovering her too quickly, as the name "Flippo" is being hunted. * Donte McArthur / Emeraldon, an Emwault of the "true green" stripe that is able to fly and absorb various forms of energy around him to become super-strong and near-bulletproof. He possesses a suit that enhances his ability. After losing everything to the collapse of the United States, he begins to see Candi as his ticket to finding a new purpose in life. * Imaki Izuki, an old inventor with ties to the organization SCALLOP. He is Candi's godfather, and a former mentor to Charlotte "Mukade" Yamamura. He also takes in Donte when Rev. Tyler Kilmington is murdered at a convention center. He serves as a chaperone as well for Candi and Donte, lest they become too tempted by one another and lose sight of true love to begin pursuing more banal passions with one another. He had joint custody with Erin Flippo over Candi, right up until Candi was legally old enough to decide for herself what her living arrangements were. * Dolores "Dolly" Marion Weiss-Malestrom / The Earwig, the unofficial wife of inventor/software engineer/cattle rancher Jeraime Malestrom. The two were working on a "Project: Musaran" together to develop a powered armor capable of handling Phexo and Meethexo threats should the situation call for it. The Hebbleskin Gang captures her husband and his project to turn him into a mind-controlled minion for Duke Arfaas. Dolly has a huge chip on her shoulder towards both Arfaas and Ameristani regime leader Halal Affadidah for the injustices they've committed against her, and sees her time helping Imaki's "Exodus Agenda" program as an opportunity to save her husband and even possibly get her revenge. She is noteworthy for her skilled improvisation in tough situations, her abrasive and even defiant personality, and her preference for wearing her hair in pigtails. She later gains possession of the "Earwig" powered armor, a project similar in nature to the Musaran one which allows her and her team to stand a fair chance against Musaran. The armor seems to be capable of "almost anything a powered armor should do" - except flight. However, the AI in its helmet is sadistic and has trouble telling friend from foe. She must gain help suppressing the AI, lest it take over her mind and make her the female version of what Musaran already is. * Darius Philippine, the half-Phaelite illegitimate son of Stan Flippo and Insila Murtillo He is the director of SCALLOP when the series opens, having been so since the 1990s. He works in tandem with Imaki, and a minister in Houston named Wilbur Brocklyn, towards the goal of using the church ministry Wilbur is starting as a recruitment center for an eventual league of heroes. The second season reveals Darius to be cowardly and corrupt, though he still cares about most of his family and allies and even puts himself in mortal danger to redeem himself when it counts. * Lex Philippine, Darius' son who is looking to move up in the ranks of SCALLOP in order to support the beginning of a family of his own. * Jack Mercreek / Jackrabbit, a Leaper Phexo capable of jumping really high. He is an Apache and a student at the University of Houston, who has vowed to find a way to save his activist girlfriend Miranda Kanla after she is captured by the Hebbleskin Gang. His only lead on her whereabouts in the beginning is through the vampiric serial rapist/killer Don "the Psycho" Mendoza that abducted her in the first place. He spends the entire first season in a cat-and-mouse game with Don, ultimately getting frustrated when Don always manages to slip away. He later defeats the Psycho with help from his Sodality friends in season 2, after learning that Candi also shares an unpleasant history with Don. * Kyle Freneti / Meerkat, a Leaper Phexo with similar abilities as Jackrabbit. He has vowed to protect his hometown from continued incursions by the Affadidah regime; but he has shown an interest in helping out SCALLOP in Houston should they ever need his help. * Charlotte Yamamura / Mukade, a Centhuen Prototype originally from Tokyo who moved to Louisiana and later married Kyle Freneti. She has an unpleasant history with the Hebbleskins' Milthuen Prototype minion Kimiyato "Milp" Hiriyama, whom she fears could resurface in Toklisana at any time. She is also very skilled at wielding a twin pair of sais. * Miriam Ann Flippo / Sniperbadger, a hacktivist with few equals who is surprised to have not inherited an active strain of the same Centhuen Prototype program as her sister Candi. After her boyfriend Phil Couric is killed and she escapes Affadidah's tyrannical state, she schemes her way to Hong Kong and goes into hiding while pretending to be a pharmacy assistant named "Haishui." She later betrays her secret identity to Chinese authorities in exchange for protection and cooperation in bringing down the growing Hebbleskin Gang threat within China. Her archnemesis is the Hebbleskin-loyal hacker Melvin Markus. She also aids Imaki's Exodus Agenda when convenient. * Shing Xú / Black Rat, a Chinese MSS officer who has been given his own team specifically for monitoring Hebbleskin activity and countering it. A big flirt, he is considering settling down at some point. He immediately sees the potential in Miriam to aid his team, and welcomes her aboard after she is press-ganged into joining the MSS as an informant. * Mingmei Chéng / Stung Hornet, a former MSS 妓女间谍 (Jìnǚ jiàndié, a "Dirty Harriet" / honey trap) recruited to Black Rat's team. She is the first to discover Miriam in a Shanghai jail, and becomes a sort of surrogate mother to her. Mingmei views saving Miriam as an essential element in redeeming herself from her own colorful history. * Wen Dù / Tin Dragon, an ill-tempered weapons expert who is also a part of Black Rat's team. While he distrusts Miriam in the beginning, he grows to have a great respect for her later. * Chen Táng / Teal Hog, the team's clumsy and often clueless fourth "mainliner." He is childish and accident-prone, but he becomes lethally competent when the situation grows dire. * Steve McLaine, a scientist/adventurer from Alaska who was driven into exile in China by the Hebbleskins. He hopes that working with Black Rat's team will allow him to return to his home one day. He and Miriam eventually strike up a budding romance that leads to marriage later on. Season 2 introduces Support Staff members Laurie Pegol and Celia Winehart, the latter of which would become known as "Taterbug" in season 3. It also introduces the Earwig armor officially, and brings in additional Sodality members Jeral "Botan the Plant-Man" Cormier and his wife Emily Cormier. It further explores Donte's childhood friend-turned-rival Jordan "Sapphire King" Reddlewick, who becomes active toward the very end as an ally of the Sodality who never officially joins due to his history as a professional thief. Miranda Kanla is added back to the team upon her rescue, and comes in handy as Laurie and Celia depart the Sodality in season 3. Season 4 sees the team's numbers grow dramatically. The Gray Champion John Domeck, Eric Stanley "Extirpon" Opendi, Vince Liam "Navyrope" Finton, Pilltar pilot Ron Barrin, Strawberry pilot Stephanie Barrin, Marge "Mapacha" Ramirez, Hea Pang, Tiffany Sterlie, Tabitha Pang, and Jordan Sterlie are all added officially to the team's roster. They gain a few other allies that come and go along the way; such as Mallorie Wade, Silo Wade, Michelle "Feruga" Winston, Oraphim II, Camille Beliah, and numerous SCALLOP agents. After season 3, Miriam and Candi are downgraded to recurring characters. Within that season, Tin Dragon and Teal Hog are killed off by Captain Aardwulf. Imaki is killed off at the tail end of the first season, leaving Wilbur Brocklyn as the only living elder mentor/founder for the Sodality. Season 4 also briefly features Chris "Purge-Flare" Kennal, revealing what Chris has been doing with his time since the events in Blood Over Water. Development Usage The term "sodality" as it applies to the Sodality of Gerosha is the social anthropology definition. Being a member of the Sodality of Gerosha essentially means believing in the general causes of Stan and Shalia Flippo, and/or being a Phaelite, a Phexo, a Marlquaanite, or other who is sympathetic to the mainstream Phaelite cause that SCALLOP was created around. "Sodality" as a term is used in a more religious sense to refer to the pact that was formed by Imaki Izuki, Wilbur Brocklyn, and Rev. Tyler Kilmington to form a mission outreach to Phexos and Marlquaanites. Meethexos that renounce the Hebbleskin Gang are invited to join also, though few have ever attempted to do so. In regards to the Sodality of Gerosha as a team of heroes, "Sodality" is used as a synonym for a league. This is because the word "league" was deemed unfavorable for usage in marketing Gerosha superheroes. Dozerfleet Comics markets its Gerosha heroes as a "Sodality of Gerosha," or "Sodality" for short. This contrasts with Marvel having the Avengers, and DC having the Justice League. Since a sodality is made up of modalities, each modality within the Sodality is comprised of the different factions within said hero league, with the term "sodality" referring to how they all interact to serve a greater common purpose. The following modalities are recognized as valid structures for the first generation: * Core Founders: This group consists of the three patriarchal figures that helped initiate the idea behind there being a Sodality of Gerosha: Imaki Izuki, Wilbur Brocklyn, and Tyler Kilmington. As of season 2, only one of these three old men is still living. * Founding Elites: These are those heroes whose coming together became the reason for a "Sodality" concept existing at all. Members include Ciem, Emeraldon, Jackrabbit, Earwig, Botan the Plant-Man, Mukade, and Meerkat. * Legends: This is a division within the team that refers to those heroes on the roster that have demonstrated pre-Affadidah prowess at being heroes in their own right. May or may not also refer to their sidekicks, contextually. This group includes the Gray Champion, Mapacha, Extirpon, Navyrope, Pilltar, and Strawberry. Hea Pang, depending on context, is sometimes also considered a member of this group. * Support Staff: All non-powered heroes who prefer to work behind the scenes rather than doing field work. Miranda Kanla and Laurie Pegol excelled at this position, one which later included Tiffany Sterlie. When not lumped in with the Legends, Hea Pang also resides in this group. Pam Marcones joins eventually as well. Dolly Malestrom used to be in this group, before she became the Earwig. Emily Cormier works in this division as the primary scientist. * Team Gray: When the Sodality is not in session a situation requiring the whole league to function as one unit, it often splits into various factions that focus on specific problems. Dealing with the Icy Finger and villains it creates is a specialty for the Gray Champion and his immediate allies. This includes Mapacha, Hea Pang, Tabitha Pang, Pablo Ramirez, and Anna Ramirez. * Lambrelli Labs: This home security systems industry-based company also specializes in making equipment for neighborhood watch programs. It was founded by Seth Lambrelli, the creator of Pilltar. It is currently run by Ron Barrin and his daughter Stephanie. They are able to remote-pilot militarized versions of their Pilltar and Strawberry neighborhood watch drones to aid the Sodality if necessary. Otherwise, they have taken to letting neighborhood watch programs and police departments use inferior Pilltar models to do their messy work for them. They try to keep a low profile most of the time, given the bad publicity Stephanie received years ago when she tried to use her Strawberry unit in the streets of Des Moines to stop a band of knockout game thugs. Originally based in Des Moines and its greater area, Lambrelli Labs relocated in 2018 to the greater area around Oklahoma City. * McArthur Estate: The McArthur family in Waco, which became official when Donte "Emeraldon" McArthur married Candi "Ciem" Flippo-Levens. These two were once prominent Founding Elites. But by season 3, they have downgraded to part time status as Sodality members. After Frank McArthur is born, he is considered a part of the McArthur Estate. * Freneti Estate: This consists of Kyle "Meerkat" Freneti and his wife, Charlotte "Mukade" Yamamura-Freneti. They are referred to by this designation when they are defending their house and their hometown in Louisiana. * Team Jackrabbit: The name for Jack "Jackrabbit" Mercreek, his fiancee Miranda Kanla, and their social circles of friends excluding members of the Sodality that belong to other teams. * Team Botan: Jeral "Botan the Plant-Man" Cormier, his wife Emily Cormier, and anyone else currently supporting them individually. * Navyrope Organization: Initially consisting of Vince Liam "Navyrope" Finton himself and his liaisons with Lambrelli Labs, this network later included Tiffany Sterlie and her son Jordan. Later, it came to consist of a wide variety of anonymous patriots who shared Vince's views - and knack for unusual forms of activism. * Team Extirpon: Eric Stanley "Extirpon" Opendi, his eventual wife Pamela Marcones, their son Wilfredo, and anyone else who supports Eric's personal mission. * Malestrom Estate: Dolly "the Earwig" Malestrom and her husband, Jeraime Malestrom. They are software engineers and cattle ranchers, with Dolly occasionally finding time to don a powered armor and save the world. Jeraime was once captured and trapped inside an AI-controlled armor to become the murderous menace "Musaran." He is since happy to report an end to his life of supervillainy. Premise The basic initial premise of this series was developed over the course of five days, as the Dozerfleet founder sought to create an apocalyptic alternate history that took the best of previous attempts at The Gerosha Chronicles, and put it together in broad strokes in a single continuity. Inspired by shows like Doomsday Preppers, The Walking Dead, Jericho and various dramas on the CW, Sodality re-envisions the Gerosha universe as a worst-case scenario of the United States becoming divided into four nations by the fallout of a second Obama term. The Dozerfleet Blog theorized before the 2012 elections that if Obama won a second term, that US would end up divided into an eastern half under Jihadist control and the west would fall under Chinese control. The two sides would battle for dominance. A website called The Tenth Harbinger alluded to a similar scenario of what could happen by 2018 - if the country steered too far off the "fiscal cliff." For purposes of this series, the Hebbleskin Gang was given a nation to the north and the Tea Party one to the south. It is revealed that in spite not entirely viewing the world through the same eyes, China considers Toklisana a lot more responsible with money and trade than the America it's descended from. Therefore, there is a shaky peace between the two. Feeling a sense of entitlement, China in this series is not above partially press-ganging talented Americans to work for its agencies. Therefore, Miriam and Steve end up working in Hong Kong for the Chinese government for a time. Meanwhile, both Toklisana and China, which controls "Chimerica," readily see that the Jihadist-controlled "Ameristan" as a serious threat. Radical Islam has often made itself known as a threat; and in this series, they're able to take their threat level to new heights. Critics of "Islamophobia" are challenged directly, as it's revealed that Islamist regimes oppress their own civilians just as much as everyone else. Why is it oppression when anyone else does it, but somehow "not" when they do it? By allowing Arfaas and the Hebbleskin Gang their own country, even if only for a time, it is shown that they too can be dangerous. Public fear of them and what they can do seems more justified, as Arfaas appears considerably more competent in this continuity than in prior ones. After this initial premise for the first season, later seasons borrow and repurpose material quite liberally from the Ciem webcomics and novels. However, those plots are reworked to include larger teams that allow the show to focus on more than just the life and times of Candi Levens. TV shows like Heroes and Agents of SHIELD are also mined for inspiration, especially with regards to how the growing Sodality of Gerosha deals with cameo appearances by heroes outside their fold - and their relationship to the oversight organization SCALLOP. Continuity Sodality creates a broad-strokes alternate history timeline for the US, illustrating the worst-case scenario of what could happen in real-world politics. After the Dozerfleet founder's sense of despair following the 2012 elections, much of Candi's lifestyle as previously described in every version of The Gerosha Chronicles prior to this one seemed highly doubtful. Ideas for exploring what could happen if critics of the Obama administration turn out to be right about nearly everything began to ooze out, and not even Stationery Voyagers was adequate for it. Therefore, nearly all post-2016 events in Comprehensive Gerosha were tweaked or else ruled null for the continuity of this series. The Flippo sisters While most items from previous continuities made it into this one, what's surprising are the items that were excluded. Denny Levens, for example, is never seen on screen. The inventor of Remotach pill technology, he dies before ever meeting Candi. Therefore, Candi decides to make up a story to rationalize changing her last name to Levens. As such, Denny effectively may as well not exist. And by extension, Angie was never conceived. The series' finale is to leave open-ended whether or not Charlie, John, and Dana will ever be born. Marina, true to tone, disappears before the story begins after marrying Matt. However, she is not seen actively involved with her sisters' lives after fleeing. Her fate appears to be unknown. As such, Andy's becoming the Pitohui is open for interpretation. Since Candi has so many new problems to face, given that this spans a TV series plot rather than a film trilogy plot, her old struggles with nymphomania are significantly toned down. They deal with the consequences of three slip-ups, instead of constant sex. They marry a short time after the third slip-up, realizing that they have no good reason to delay marriage further. Erin's fear of sex is more exaggerated, as she's revealed to be genuinely mentally ill due to a chemical imbalance in the brain. She immediately is suspicious of everything Candi and Miriam do with their boyfriends, and pressures the girls to move out based on the possibility of something happening. Miriam bemoans that like Marina, she deserves to be kicked out. She wonders how Candi can be so accepting of things, in spite the fact that Candi hadn't at that point made the same mistake. Candi as religiously/spiritually/morally-aware as she was in Classic Gerosha, whereas she was primarily sexually aware in Comprehensive Gerosha. The result is that Candi is able to carry herself with slightly more confidence, which she needs in order to function in this show's universe. Miriam's self-loathing from Comprehensive Gerosha carries over, but is not as extreme. Partially blaming herself for Phil's death, she flees to Hong Kong to start her life over. She finds that the Hebbleskin's influence reaches even that far, and vows to help Chinese officials put a stop to it. The new mission she develops in life leads to her meeting another exile: Steve McLaine. Their combined efforts to kick the Hebbleskins out of China gives their lives new focus. While they ultimately do end up conceiving Marie and Trina; they are given purposeful lives, that give them more to do than lie around a cabin and have sex all the time, as they did in Ciem 2. Sam Wrikon is still one of the Flippo sisters' ancestors, but his role is minimized. Meshaluta and her cult effectively don't exist, so the Meshalutian Trilogy does not directly affect anything in this series; nor is anything from that trilogy ever discussed. Emeraldon Donte's struggle to overcome his desire to consummate his relationship with Candi prematurely helps build him up as a character. Even though he ultimately fails, his greater initial success helps set him apart from his Comprehensive Gerosha counterpart. His desire to make Candi into family stems from his suffering the loss of his own family. However, his father Hector left behind a lot of secrets. The quest to know what those secrets were becomes another dimension to his character. Since he is active for longer in this continuity than in any other since Gerosha Prime, and never gets cancer like in the other versions; he is able to develop into a more-rounded character. He was predictably boring before that, an underdeveloped and somewhat shallow love interest for Candi. This show's design was intended to repair Emeraldon's reputation over those concerns. Abolition, a story which would have been necessary to tell for Comprehensive Gerosha, becomes part of the plot for season four of this series. Therefore, it cancels that project out. All prequels pertaining to the Meshalutian Trilogy are also negated by extension. Therefore, Vile Magenta Cloak and A Miner Named Sam are canceled projects. While Donte's origins do play a role in the series, there are still plans to make his origin tale Of Emeralds and Sapphires. However, Cataclysmic Gerosha calls for a re-design of the Emeraldon and Sapphire King outfits from the variations that they'd had ever since Classic Gerosha. The Ciem outfit, by contrast, remains mostly unchanged from its Comprehensive Gerosha design. Other Many characters' designs are similar to what they always have been, with only mild modification to fit the world of Sodality. An exception would be Don the Psycho, who receives a considerable overhaul both in appearance and in competency. He is mutated, making him more of a threat. His result is something between a Meethlite and a vampire, giving him red eyes and a silvery complexion underneath his blue trenchcoat. This is a far departure from his skull T-shirt-wearing, still flesh-toned Hispanic counterpart in Comprehensive Gerosha. The suit harkens back to the one he wore in the Ciem webcomic. It was decided that he had the potential to be an even more interesting nemesis for Ciem and her friends than Musaran or any of the other major villains from previous Ciem incarnations. While he is Ciem's enemy first and foremost, he also shares a rivalry with Jackrabbit. While on the same team, Don and Wayne are contrasts. Wayne's attempts to rape and terrorize Candi prove that he is an amateur, one reason he dies very quickly. Don laughs at this, using it as an opportunity to flaunt his superior tactics. Jack's appearance undergoes minimal change; but he's given more to do. While he still boasts of being a ladies man, he does more with his time than seduce women. He develops feelings for Candi, but the two decide not to pursue it. They want their original loves back, and don't wish to complicate matters with an actual affair. This contrasts with the way he seduces Candi following Denny's death in Vigilante Centipede, taking advantage of her need to have arms she can hold. Instead, he wants to become a track coach for the Olympics after leaving college. However, he fears he might not ever make it to college. His plans to enroll are halted when Don the Psycho invades Toklisana from Netheel. To stop Don, and find out what happened to his girlfriend, Jack embarks on a game of cat-and-mouse with the elusive villain. Making the characters an ensemble also proves beneficial. The plot is centered around the common goals of every protagonist, and on what happens as they seek to make good on those goals. The story centers most around Ciem, but is not exclusively about her. This was seen as a means of correcting a problem with every other Gerosha continuity: an over-focus on Ciem at the expense of not giving enough other characters enough interesting things to do. Name issues The series was originally going to be titled Ciem: Cataclysmic Horizons. However, the title was shortened to make Candi part of an ensemble cast. It soon became apparent that it wasn't just a story about Ciem; but a story about her friends equally so. It was also about a situation that engulfs and reshapes the destinies of all of them. Therefore, it was no longer deemed fair to have the title emphasize her exclusively. Taking a new direction with titling this version of Ciem mythos allowed for other characters to gain some more time for character development also, utilizing the vast array of characters in Candi's world in ways that had not been attempted in any past incarnation. The series itself shared a name with a message board that had no relation to it. After the trouble had been undertaken to re-define Gerosha mythology around Cataclysmic Gerosha, it seemed difficult to figure out another name. On April 30th of 2013, however, it was renamed Sodality to reflect that it is about how the Sodality of Gerosha came together. Visuals Sodality establishes many firsts in the history of Dozerfleet Comics. It is the first series to use concept art stills that, on a regular basis, utilize parallax anaglyphs to produce native 3D. While much of the concept art utilizes The Sims 3 like Comprehensive Gerosha, this new narrative is the basis for Cataclysmic Gerosha. The alternate universe allows room for other models, not just Sims. Some art for the Ciem novel trilogy was going to use models generated with MakeHuman 3D Alpha Build 6.0. This series is able to take advantage of MakeHuman 3D Alpha Build 7, which introduced models with clothes and hairstyles available for experimentation. Another first with this series is that it is the first to take full advantage of DeviantArt as a storehouse for concept art. The benefits of networking on DeviantArt have yielded several artists willing to contribute artwork of theirs to provide conceptual visuals for the series; asking only for promotion of their profiles and portfolios in exchange for the use of their work. The greatest benefit of that has been finding images of models that somewhat resemble cast and characters, providing actual photographic references for casting. The first character to receive this treatment was Stung Hornet, portrayed by an ethnically-Asian model. Photographer Maleica eventually supplied other images that, once altered slightly in Photoshop, provided other characters with photo references. Candi received a photographic model immediately following Stung Hornet. This led to the same model in his stock being used in other photos for Miriam and Marina. However, Candi's Ciem suit remains a construction in The Sims 3 and MakeHuman 3D. Several cosplay artists have been offered the chance to build their own Ciem suits, in exchange for promotion of their work. See also * Candi Levens (Cataclysmic Gerosha): The version of Ciem specific to this series. * Ciem: the generic character * The Gerosha Chronicles: What Sodality is a part of. * Stationery Voyagers: A similar series also in Dozerfleet Comics. External links * 2D concept art collection at DeviantArt * Red-Cyan 3D concept art collection at DeviantArt * Green-Magenta 3D concept art collection at DeviantArt * Confirmation of name change at The Dozerfleet Blog Category: Projects from 2013 Category: Shelved projects Category: Sodality Category: Ciem media